The present invention relates to a telescopic covering for a guideway of a shop machine, and includes a number of cover bodies that fit into one another in a telescopic manner and each comprise a cover wall, two side walls, and a rear wall, whereby a component that is disposed in the plane of the rear wall and projects beyond the cover wall forms an abutment for carrying along the next largest cover body.
DE-PS 35 22 884 discloses a telescopic covering, the cover bodies of which are made of a composite material including two metallic cover sheets and a plastic core. To assemble the cover bodies, special profiled connectors and tongue and groove constructions between the cover wall, rear wall, and side walls were proposed that were welded or fused together. Unfortunately, this known telescopic covering is an inadequate solution for the mutual support and guidance of the lightweight cover bodies. For this purpose, EP-OS 0 211 188 proposes a mechanism for holding together and longitudinally guiding the cover bodies, with this mechanism comprising grooves that extend in the direction of movement, and guide elements that engage in these grooves. However, in other respects the support and guidance of the cover bodies upon one another is effected in a manner conventional in the steel industry. It is obvious that with the longitudinal grooves that extend in the direction of movement, the carrying capacity of the cover bodies is reduced.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a telescopic covering having improved support and guidance between the cover bodies so that it is possible to use lightweight composite panels, associated with which is a drastic reduction in weight.